A Sweet Pang of Nostalgia with Seven Collar T-Shirt at Playspace Live

By Cindy Low  •  28 Jul 2016 in Reports

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Images Rizki Maulana

This year, beloved veteran rock band Seven Collar T-Shirt has resurfaced and started their rounds in the gig circuit. But before they make their big return at Good Vibes Festival ‘16, we managed to catch them at the intimate setting that was Playspace Live so that we can properly participate and be present for the quartet’s performance.

But first, opening band Ramayan warmed up the crowd with a few of their songs, one of which clearly stood out – ‘Oh Dewiku’. And it was no wonder too. The song, with its catapulting powers of retrospection, had an underlying psychedelic sensibility that was coupled with the innate infectiousness of pop – we’d reckon this will be their most requested song at their future shows from here onwards. Lead singer Pi’e, on the other hand, was a frontman full of dedicated charisma, frequently shutting his eyes as he melodised his words or tilting his head skywards as he strummed his electric guitar in pure rapture.

Soon after, to the sample of their cover of P. Ramlee’s ‘Jangan Tinggal Daku’, each of the members of Seven Collar T-Shirt walked up the stairs to the red-lit stage. The band went through their best-known songs from The Great Battle, Drones, and even played two new songs. One fan sung, without missing a word, the lyrics of each song with an intensity that reflected frontman Saiful’s, but it could not match the singer’s impassioned wailing. The vigour in his earnest singing was represented in the protruding veins on his forehead and his taut neck as he expressed all the ageless words of compassion and romance. With the men’s individual talent and skills at their respective instruments, they brought to life fan favourites such as ‘Fragile’, ‘Wild Child’, ‘Lucky You’, and ‘Faith’. They saved the expansive ‘Lights’ for their closer (before an inevitable encore) – a keen, sustained guitar and lumbering drums supported Saiful’s steadily paced delivery before it all heightened in passion and strength as they urged, “So cry if you wanted to cry tonight/ Your soul is losing hours.” Tears didn’t flow, but something was definitely lodged in our throats.

The men have certainly grown older, yet they still sounded the same. This should be the same for their fans who came out that night, they, too, matured through the years along with the band but the memories attached to their songs surely remained unchanged – just as their unfaltering loyalty to Seven Collar T-Shirt.

Seven Collar T-Shirt will play on Day 1 of Good Vibes Festival ’16 on Friday 12 August ’16 at The Ranch @ Gohtong Jaya, Genting Highlands. Purchase festival tickets via boxtix.asia.

Playspace Pres. Sound Bites Vol.3 Feat. Seven Collar T-Shirt went down on Saturday 16 July ’16.